Published 01/06/2023, 12:45 PM EST
When you think about Ice Hockey, the first name that comes to your mind is Wayne Gretzky. But you would probably be surprised to know that the NHL legend always aspired to play baseball. In an interview, Gretzky excitedly talked about baseball as his first love, and what led him to make history in the hockey world.
In an interview with Dan Patrick Show Gretzky shared his affection for baseball since his childhood. He goes on to talk about how he could play baseball all day long and wanted to pursue the sport as a professional. Let’s find out more.
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Did baseball attract Wayne Gretzky even more than hockey?
Gretzky looked delighted talking about his love for baseball. “My favorite sport believe it or not was baseball, I wanted to be major league baseball player, I used to listen to Jack Buck on the radio because we got there stationed in my hometown…I can listen to the cardinal game on the radio and fall asleep”, he said. In addition, he talked about dreaming of competing for Canada in the Olympics.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wayne Gretzky (@waynegretzky)
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However, the reason Gretzky did not chase baseball as a career was his father’s keen eye on his son. Gretzky sportingly said, “My dad kept kind of clipping me over the head saying you know you’re a hockey player”. Gretzky was 14 when he finally chose hockey over baseball.
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It was always his wish to be a baseball or a box lacrosse player and represent Canada internationally. Gretzky grew up as a big Detroit Tigers fan. He even followed the players very closely. In a parallel universe, maybe we’d find The Great One swinging a baseball bat. What do you think about this revelation?
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